A Good Country Wife

Lin Yue listened as Zhao Erhu clarified the situation, "So it turns out, by a lucky coincidence, our family has gained a few good hands. Such trained servants are hard to come by; typically, only aristocratic families cultivate them from a young age, or else they are from the jianghu. It seems we’ve stumbled upon a bargain."

"Yeah, now that we have these people at home to protect your safety, I am also relieved. Originally, there were not only these four, but two others as well; however, I felt that those two did not seem very righteous. Such people, already skilled in martial arts, could cause even greater trouble than ordinary people if they decided to act up. Even if they signed a contract of servitude, they couldn’t be trusted."

"What you did was right. There’s a saying: better to have none than to have something shoddy. Besides, four people are not few. In the future, we can slowly buy more and teach them. Family wealth is accumulated bit by bit. By the way, I see that none of them are young; they should all be married by now. What about their families? Were they sold along with them, or what happened?" Lin Yue now had some experience and knew that although she held their indenture contracts and could control their lives, to retain their loyalty, she had to win their hearts and make them feel a sense of belonging to this household.

Zhao Erhu was not surprised by Lin Yue’s question, as he had considered this as well, "Except for Zhang Kui who is unmarried, the other three have families. However, their family members were also arrested and sold by the government. They were sold off in batches, so they were not together, and they were sold to different places. I brought them back here first. As for their families, I have asked Master Feng from the Hongwei Escort Agency to inquire about them, trying our best to bring back their families so that they could be reunited."

"To them, this is also an adversity through no fault of their own. Servants have no way to meddle in the treason planned by their masters; we can only do our best." Lin Yue and Zhao Erhu continued their talk, while Haishi and the others, having finished their meal, came over. They were quite quick, but they ate a lot, because Wang Dachuan had cooked a big pot of noodles in a rush, and they ate every last bit.

"Have you brothers finished your meal so quickly? Since Erhu brought you here, we are family from now on. Aside from the necessary rules, there is no need to be overly reserved. You will understand how our household is after staying for a while."

"We understand. Brother Wang and Xixi have told us the Dongjia and his wife are generous. We brothers have fallen on hard times, and we owe it to the Dongjia for taking us in. From now on, our lives belong to the Dongjia, and we will serve the Dongjia and his wife with devotion." Haishi, the friend of Master Feng, took the lead among the group, expressing gratitutde with another bow to Zhao Erhu and Lin Yue. He understood that the Dongjia taking them in was a risk and was partially out of respect for Master Feng. Otherwise, he feared he might still be languishing in jail, tormented by Lord Wei.

Zhao Erhu helped them up, "I brought you back because I value your skills and character. From now on, settle down here with peace of mind. Regarding your families, I have already sent someone to find out where they are, and we will try our best to bring them back."

Haishi and the others had just gotten up when they heard Zhao Erhu’s words and knelt down again, deeply moved. Even these tall, sturdy men had tears in their eyes. People are not emotionless grass or trees; what they care about most now that they are out of their plight is their families. They were grateful that the Dongjia was willing to buy them and dared not hope for more, their hearts filled with mixed emotions. Unexpectedly, the Dongjia turned out to be truly benevolent, having thought of their situation in advance.